Council formally notified the school of the imminent plans to install the No Stopping signs on Pambula Beach Road with an email to principal Steve Centra on Friday, August 4, leaving Mr Centra under the impressed that the signs would be installed within the next couple of weeks. 

Council claims that for some years now Council’s Local Traffic Committee has raised concerns regarding the drop off, pick up, and parking activities along the stretch of road that adjoins Lumen Christi Catholic College.

The issue was then discussed at the council meeting on Wednesday, May 17, with councillors voting unanimously to give Lumen eight weeks notice before the changes were to come into affect. 

This decision was not that of the recommendation to council before the meeting which stated “that a decision be deferred pending a meeting between Bega Valley Shire Council, NSW Roads and Maritime Services and Lumen Christi Catholic College, to discuss what immediate actions can be taken to resolve the safety, scour and environmental issues”. 

Instead councillors voted to “provide reasonable notice period of eight weeks to Lumen Christi Catholic College” regarding the installation of the No Stopping signs and “that an overall access management plan be designed and implemented for the Lumen Christi Catholic College site as soon as possible”.  

Council’s Director of Transport and Utilities Terry Dodds was the one who suggested changing the recommendation saying that the three parties had met in the past and “this matter has been going on for quite some time and has been unresolved”. 

Mr Centra said he had hoped that the councillors would have followed the original recommendation, that of the school working together with RMS and council.

“I had met with a council and RMS representatives in 2015 and we discussed changing Pambula Beach Road to allow for a formal drop off lane, I don’t know what happened to that plan,” Mr Centra said. 

“I have implored them to come to the school during drop off and pick up time to look at the reality of the situation and together find a workable solution. Surely as a community we can find the best outcome.”

He said he is concerned that council will be installing the signs before the school has had the chance to find an alternative. 

“If council were to do this then it would be endangering our kids,” he said. 

In a media release addressing the issue, council said the Traffic Committee will always advocate safety as a principle concern - “and the current activities along Pambula Beach Road are a safety issue”. 

“The roadside embankment that has been used as an informal car park is steep and has limited vision when reversing onto Pambula Beach Road,” the council media release states. 

“With the safety of the whole community in mind, Council felt compelled to act and manage the risk more actively.”

In the May council meeting councillor Robyn Bain was outspoken in her beliefs that not only were the signs necessary but that police should be called upon to patrol the area. 

“This is a really serious problem,” she said. 

“It seems very unruly at drop off and pick up time and it is inevitable there will be an accident down there.

“I also think it would be usefull in the police could be down there on a more regular occasion to remind parents of what the rules of the road actually are.”

However, Mr Centra said that as a school principal his first priority is always the safety of the children. 

“We have never had any accidents at Pambula Beach Road and I think it is far more inevitable for an accident to happen if all traffic is pushed into Culgoa Crescent as would be the case.”

Mr Centra spoke about his concern that Culgoa Crescent already has a blind corner and that coupled with turning buses and an influx of up to 50 more cars could be problematic for the young children. 

“The kids getting dropped off at Pambula Beach Road are almost exclusively primary school students, so they are young and excitible and moving them to a busy area where they would have to cross the road is not something I am comfortable with,” Mr Centra said. 

Mr Centra also said he didn’t believe the current arrangement was as dangerous as it has been made out to be. 

The time in which the parents are reversing down the embankment is when the 40km/h speed is in place which Mr Centra said means cars are travelling show enough to stop should a car reverse in front of them. 

The section of Pambula Beach Road adjacent to the school is not and never has been an official set down, pick up, parking area.

Mr Centra said it has gradually become used more and more since the primary school was opened at Lumen in 2012 but it wasn’t until 2015 that it became used by a large majority of parents.

Council said signage will soon be erected notifying the community that parking and traffic will no longer be allowed in this area.

“The management of the school’s internal car park remains the responsibility of the school,” council’s media release said.

“NSW Roads and Maritime Services has a Safety Around Schools Project Officer available who can provide technical advice if requested.”

Mr Centra said he is still hoping to work with council, RMS and the Traffic Committee to find the best alternative to the current situation.